The deadly covid-19 pandemic has caused drastic change in how people travel. These key trends show how travel may evolve in the coming years, especially for Indian travellers.
New Delhi: Just when the hotel and travel industries in India began to limp back to normalcy evading from the deadly Covid-19 pandemic’s grasp from the last two year, the current surge in Omicron cases in the country has put them back on the track from where the future prospects only look bleak.
Owing to this, experts in the travel and hospitality industries are taking cue from the key travel trends in 2021 to keep the businesses running in 2022 as well. Interestingly, despite the surge in the Omicron variant cases, Indian travellers are looking for quick getaways within India through road trips, weekend breaks and staycations.
Among the many important travel trends that have come to fore this year, enhanced transparency around health and safety has topped the list. According to a survey done by Booking.com on the future of travel, 77 per cent of Indians mentioned they would only book accommodations if it was clear what health and hygiene policies a destination had in place, with 71 per cent saying they would avoid certain destinations altogether due to safety concerns.
Big Shift in Travel Trends For Indian Travellers in 2021 to Continue in 2022 as Well
1. Surge in Domestic Bookings
With the cancellation in international bookings, owing to the rising Covid cases, there is a surge in domestic travel bookings in India. “We are getting 50-60 additional booking queries every day since the restriction on international flights. It has positively impacted domestic tourism, witnessing an influx of domestic tourists significantly,” Ankita Sheth, co-founder of Vista Rooms told India.com.
Indians are increasingly looking for experiences that will enable them to reconnect with friends and family. “Be it a workcation, staycation or a weekend getaway, travellers are gravitating towards fuller and richer immersive experiences that allow them to connect, explore and unwind. More and more people therefore, will prefer travel that balances their itinerary with a languid pace affording them the time to explore more while eliminating the stress of rushing around many places to tick the boxes,” Vipul Prakash, Chief Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip told India Today.
2. Solo Vacay
This trend of travelling solo is here to stay. People are in fact resorting to impromptu travel plans to make up for lost time in the last two years due to the coronavirus global health scare. Ritu Mehrotra, regional manager for South Asia at Booking.com, told the publication, “Our data pre-pandemic saw only 18 per cent of Indian travellers planning a trip on their own while 54 per cent of travellers now say that they will be planning a solo trip in the future.”
3. Unique Travel Experiences
With having cooped up inside our houses for the last two years, people are eager to experience fulfilling travel experiences to break away from the Covid monotony. Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s general manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan told India Today, “People are keen to explore short getaways that are a drive away from their homes, and there is an increasing interest in travel experiences that are off-the-beaten-track and offer affordability and adventure while benefitting local communities.”
In fact, with the rise of the hybrid working model, people are experimenting with their work settings by traveling to new locations and opting for workations to alleviate lack of enthusiasm and boredom.
4. Sustainability
With rise in pollution levels and health-related complications due to Covid, Indian travellers are making conscious choices of enabling sustainable travel. About 94 per cent respondents who took the Airbnb and YouGov survey in the year 2021 mentioned that they would look at sustainable travel when they do leave their homes in 2021. According to Bajaj, “Sustainable travel choices that are closer to remote communities and nature not only provide a boost to these communities, but are accessible and affordable and are a transformative choice contributing to unique and individual travel experiences.”
5. Contactless Travel
This key travel trend is far-reaching and hence, experts in the travel and hospitality industries should pay close attention to it. In the post-pandemic world, people in these industries have already made significant efforts to ensure people feel absolutely safe while travelling. From contactless check-in at airports and hotels to ordering food and beverages and concierge services at hotels online, contactless offerings are becoming the norm more than an exception. This trend will continue in 2022 as well. “In parallel, travellers are also warming up to the idea of using contactless services and building appreciation for tech-rich experiences that promise travel safety, upfront,” said MakeMyTrip CEO.
